Two new ways Microsoft is investing in app compatibility

After spending some quality time with partners at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in Toronto, there were some clear takeaways from our conversations around app compatibility for Windows 10.
Application compatibility is a topic that is always top of mind with customers, particularly those considering the move to a new operating system like Windows 10.
Even though most of your customers consider the compatibility of Windows 10 with existing apps to be extremely high, IT Pros are looking for proof that applications are compatible with Windows 10.
Thirdly, and most importantly, your customers want to know which of your applications are supported by Windows 10, how long they will be supported, and which servicing branch of Windows as a Service they are supported on.

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Microsoft

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info@microsoft.com

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We have listened carefully to this feedback, and we are confident that two new initiatives announced at WPC will make this information more readily available to your business customers.

New investments in app compatibility initiatives

In particular, these two app compatibility initiatives recently announced will give IT Pros much more confidence to deploy Windows 10 in the enterprise space. Here’s more info on the new investment Microsoft is making in app compatibility:

1. Microsoft Ready for Windows

The first initiative is Microsoft Ready for Windows, a new web site that makes it easy for ISVs to list their commercial applications that support Windows 10 and generate market visibility for their solutions. By using the Ready for Windows Directory to check how widely deployed and supported the software in their organization is, IT Managers can determine which apps to test and deploy.

How Microsoft will help inform customers:

Ready for Windows will be heavily promoted to commercial customers worldwide on Microsoft web properties and through paid search. In this way, ISVs can reach a global market and generate more leads to grow their business.

2. Microsoft Windows 10 Compatible Logo

The second initiative Microsoft announced at WPC is a new Windows 10 Compatible logo program, which provides logos that ISVs can use in their marketing activities to showcase the quality of their applications. These logos will help drive customer demand and increase customer confidence in Windows 10 and Windows as a Service.

How you can get started using it:

Unlike logo programs for previous versions of Windows, Microsoft will no longer require developers to have their applications tested for certification by authorized testing authorities. Instead, after successfully completing compatibility testing of applications, ISVs only need to list solutions in the Ready for Windows directory and provide a link to a public support statement identifying which branch of the Windows as a Service model their solution is supported on. Then, just accept the terms of the Windows 10 Compatible Logo License Agreement and you are ready to go.

How Microsoft will help inform customers:

To help drive purchase preference for Windows 10 Compatible solutions, Microsoft will generate awareness through web advertising and digital marketing campaigns, as well as through Windows.com, MSDN, TechNet, and Microsoft paid search.

Giving customers increased confidence in deploying Windows 10

We understand that compatibility matters to both you and your customers in order to ensure apps run as expected on all supported versions of Windows. These new initiatives will do just that, leading to more exciting opportunities for ISV partners, and giving our shared customers more confidence to deploy Windows 10 in the enterprise space.

To learn more about app compatibility and these specific initiatives, check out the app compatibility page and reach out to us directly at readyforwindows@microsoft.com with any questions. We’d love to learn more about your needs, get your feedback on these new initiatives, and see how we can help.